Shipping structure



Feb 6 1945v P. w. MILBURN ETAI. 2,368,862 v SHIPPING STRUCTURE Filed Nov. 14, 1942 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 FAV AITR/VEY Feb. 6, 1945. P. w. MILBURN ErAL SHIPPING STRUCTURE Filed Nov. 14, 1942 l?,A Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Feb. 6, 1945 UNITED STATE-s PATENT OFFICE! Smppm'iorml; 't

Adamson, West Los Angeles,v Calif .5 assignors to Douglas Aircraft Company, Inc., Santa 4 Monica, Calif.

ApplicationA November 14, 1942, Serial No.465,830

(Cl.l l2li-60) 4 Claims.

This invention relates to a device for transporting articles such as airplane Wingsiand other airplane parts, which are of light weightand large size, and which are readily damaged by'impact with surrounding objects, and particularly to a device for transporting articles of this character without the use of protecting boxing or crating. It is common practice in the airplane industry as in other industries, to fabricate some of the different parts of the completed product at separately located factories and ship them to a central plant for assembly. In shipping airplane parts, and particularly the wing panels,v difculties have been experienced in loading theI parts in a manner such that they will be properly protected from damage in transit; Wing structures are of largesize relative to their Weight and are 'box that they will not become loosened in transit and be damagedby contactV with the box walls and the securing devices Within the box.

One object of this invention is to provide ay device for transporting articles of the general character above set forth Without the use of boxing or crating; Which shall protect the transported article from injury or damage. I

Another. object of the invention is to provide a means for transporting articles of the character described Without boxing or crating, by Which'the article Will be held immovable With respect to the transporting vehicle and out of contact with any Dart of the vehicle or with any other object.

It is another object ofthe invention to provide a device for transporting articles of the character described whichvvillbe economical of shipping space land will lend itself to the loading of a maximum. number of articles in a transporting vehicle.. v

It is another object ofthe invention to provide an arrangement of shipping' structures and car lfloor trackage for ready loading of the Structures without sideswiping and through end doors of restricted opening.

It is another object offtl'ie invention to provide a device for loading, transporting and unloading yarticles of the character described Without the l fuse'. of enclosing protective boxing or crating.

" Figure l'is a perspective view of a shipping- -as shown.

structure embodying the invention showing in phantom lines two wing panels loaded thereon.

FigurevZ is ay sectional vieW taken as indicated by the line 2-2v of Figure l;

Figures 3 and i are fragmentary perspective views showing' details of thestr'ucture.

Figure 5 is a planv view of the box car traclag'e for loading and positioning three of the shipping structures. 4 l i In Figures 1 and 2 of the drawings, a shipping structure I0 isshovvnA loaded Witha right outboard Wing panel 6l) and a left outboard Wing-panel 58.

The frame structure of thel device comprises a pair of Wheel supported cross frames Il and Ila, a pair of standardsY I4 and 'I5 secured in upright position to the Cross frames `'I'I'and Ila respectively `and a 4longitudinalV frame member I6 connecting the standard Maand cross frame II with the standard I5 and cross -frame Ila 'in longitudinally spaced relation. A'rhorizontally trussed franieil secured to the longitudinal'` frame member IB and the cross frames II and Ila stiffens the member I6 against buckling stresses 'and holds the cross frames in' parallel relation. i

Each crossfraine has a pair of transverse angle irons I2, and a pair of plates I`3 secured thereto and connected at their ends by bars l1. A wheel carrying assembly I8 at each end-of each cross frame mounts a Wheel 2|, these Wheels providing a` rolling support for the' shipping structure;`

The iongitudineiiframe it` nos e top channel bar I9 and a; bottom channel vbar 20 joined' by vertical trussing comprising channels and'gussets To accommodate the tapering thickness of the panels between upper `and lower surfaces, the

longitudinal member I6l and` the standards I4 and I5 are securedt'ov the cross'frames II and Ila at stations along! the' latterv Oppositely displaced from the longitudinal central pianeof the" shipping stiu.(`:ture,v the longitudinal member l 6 Crossing this central planemidivaylbetween the cross frames. The longitudinalfrerneriiinber I6 projects at its' ends a substantial distance beyond the cross frames ll'andl la, its total length approximating that of the Wing parielsand its ends registering with the panelY ends.- The Weight of the shipping structure and'v panels loaded thereon is thereby balanced onthe two` cross frames with the purpose of minimizing compressive, tensile and flexing stresses in the structure and panels; l y

The frame structure comprising the several ele.-

for supporting and nrnilyfnolding' in position,

receiving the leading edges of the outboard end.

portion of panel 60 and the inboard end portion of panel 58 respectively. symmetrically related saddles 24 and 25 support the other ends of these panels on the cross frame I la.

The lower portions of the panels are laterallyv supported by the rails 29 and 29a which bridge the outer upper extensions 28 of the plates I3.`

The upper portions of the inboard ends of the panels are each laterally supported Iby a padded bar 42 carried by a depending bar 43 secured at its upper end to a horizontal double strap clamping arm 32. The arm 32 is secured to its corresponding standard I4 or I5 in a manner to permit its adjustment transversely of the shipping structure so that the padded bar 42 may be caused to press the wing panel rmly against a padded lug 5U mounted on the side of the standard.

The inner ends of the two straps ofthe clamping arm are horizontally slotted at 33 and supported on the standard by a pin 34 which is anchored in the standard and projects from both sides of the standard into the slots 33. The arm 32 is drawn toward the standard by a wedge 36, the inclined face of which engages a pin 35 fastened between the ends of the straps of the arm 32. The wedge is held against accidental upward movement by a removable key pin 38 which is passed through the slots 33 and any one of the adjustment holes 39.

-against the wing panel by a strap 46 of webbing which is looped at its upper end about a pin 4d between the two metal straps of the arm 32 and which passes down alongside the wing panel and around a fastening loop 4B on the rail 29a. The strap 4B is provided at its lower end with the usual buckle for tightening the strap to pull the lugs 40 tightly down against the wing panel.'

The outboard ends of the wing panels are similarly held down against their supporting saddles by a strap 52 which is secured at its upper end to a loop 5I on the standard, is threaded through a strap loop 56 on a form block 55, passes around the form block and down to a strap loop 54 on the rail 29. The form block is in the form of a quarter cylinder to conform to the aileron well 59 in the trailing edge of the outboard end portion of the wing panel. The strap 52 applies a downwardly and inwardly directed pressure to the wing panel, holding it down against its saddle and inwardly against a padded block 5l on the standard.

Each wing panel is held against longitudinal movement with respect to the shipping structure by a plate 64 secured to the ange angles 6I and 62 of the wing panel structure and a bracket fitting 63 bolted to the plate 64 and to thevextreme tip end of the top channel I9 of the longitudinal frame member I6. A vertical bolt slot 65 and horizontal bolt Slots 66 in the fitting 63 provide for vertical and horizontal adapting movement of the bracketin bolting it in position.

The structure is xed laterally in loaded position in the car by engagement of the wheels with track rails secured to the car floor and by engagement of the grooved guides 'I'I at the tops of the standards I4 and I5 with a fixture (not shown) depending from the car roof. The structure may be fixed longitudinally of the car by strut bars -(not shown) securable between the member I6 and the car ends or by removable stop lugs (not shown) securable to the track rails in position against the wheels to prevent rolling of the structure on the rails.

If a shipping structure is of an overall width including the wing panels or other articles loaded thereon such that three loaded structures placed lengthwise` in the car and in transverse alignment, occupy substantially the lentire space between the side walls of the car, affording small clearance between adjacentl structures and between the car wall and a proximate structure, it

becomes dimcult to so arrange the track rails that the three structurescan be moved into the car without sideswiping each other and the' car sidewalls and withoutfoulin'g against the' car door radii. To overcome this diiliculty instead of six track rails, four uniformly gauged rails with short switch spurs are used as shown in Figure 5.

The two lefthand track railsv 68 and 69 each have a pair of switch spurs 'I2 and 13, the spurs v 'I2 being longitudinally spaced to conform to the longitudinal spacing of front and rear wheels on a shipping structure. The two right hand track lrails l0 and 1I have loppositely disposed pairs of switch spurs 'I4 and 15. The extreme inner end portions 'IG of the rectilinear stretch of the middle two track rails '69 andv I0 are extended in lateral alignment with the spurs I3 and 14.

In loading, a shipping structure is rolled into the openfend oi a car on tracks 68 and 69 and ontospurs 'I2 and 'I3 as it approaches its home position in the car, the spurs shifting the structure over close to the car wall 'I8 leaving a clearance sumcient for shipment. This clearance 'would not however be a safelyadequate clearance for such a relativemovement of structure were moved into place on tracks spaced to afford and wall as would be the case if the structure only that small clearance while the structure is rolling into the car. Then a second shipping structure is rolled o'n tracks 'I0 and 'Il to and 55j onto spurs 'I4 and 15. A'third structure is then rolled into the car on tracks 69 and 'I0 and stopped in lateral alignment vwith the other structures. v

The trackage layout describedabove affords several additional advantages. vlit makes possible the ready loading ,oi three structures closely lling the car from side toside through an end car doorway which is too small for three structures to `stand therein sideby side but large enough for admittingthree structures in succession on a trackage layout of the kind described. It reduces the trackage weight nearly fty per cent and it establishes aipermanent, accurate gauging of the clearance space between the structures. This clearance would otherwise. be dependent upon the'care and workmanship exercised in spacing the tracks when they are secured to the car/oor. Y v v ,l

VWhen the structures are in place, the grooved guides `II are .in lateral engagement with', what- 'tically trussed, laterally thin, frame structure` ever ceiling fixtures are provided in the car for that purpose.

We claim: i

1. In a shipping structure for airplane wing panels, the combination of a pair of cross bottom frames longitudinally spaced on said shipping structure; a standard carried by each of said frames at a station there-across displaced from the center line of the structure, the two standards being oppositely displaced; an elongated horizontally disposed, vertically trussed, laterally thin, frame structure connecting the lower ends of said standards and lying in the vertical plane thereof, said frame structure projecting at each end a substantial distance beyond the corresponding standard; means carried by each cross frame on each side thereof for vertically supporting and laterally .retaining a pair of similar airplane wing panels on opposite sides of said standards respectively, positioned with theirleading edges downward and their inboard ends oppositely directed and with each inboard end juxtaposed to one of the outwardly facing sides of the corresponding adjacent standard; and means carried by each standard on ,each side thereof for laterallyretaining said Wing panels in said position.

2. The combination defined in claim 1, and in addition thereto; atransverse member secured to each outer end of said frame structure for having rigidly secured thereto the adjacent inboard end v panels, the combination of: a pair of cross bottom. frames longitudinally spaced on said shipping structure; a standard carried by each of connecting said standards and lying in the v ertical plane thereof, said frame structure projecting at each end a substantial distance beyond the corresponding standard; four padded saddles on said cross frames one on each side of each of said standards, said saddles being at a common level and shaped and disposed for supporting a pair of similar airplane wing panels on opposite sides of said standards respectively positioned vwith their leading edges downward and their ini board ends oppositely directed; longitudinallyv the outboard end portion of each of said panels, .Y each said strap being secured at one end to a. l

standard at the level of the position of the adjacent panel trailing edge and passing around the outer side of said panel and releasably secured at the other end to one of said lateral supports; a longitudinally adjustable transverse bar on each standard over the position of the inf,

board end portion'of a panel; and a second strap of adjustable length securedto the outer end of each said bars and passing downward around the panel and releasably secured at its lower end to one of said lateral supports.'

4. The combination defined in claim: 3 in `which said bars are each provided with a padded lug onv its under side for vertical pressural engagement with theV wing panel therebeneath, and

said first straps are each provided with a paddedv block adjustable therealong and shaped -to conform yto the trailing edge of vthe wing panel i secured by said strap.

PAUL MILBURN.' WILLIAM D. ADAMSON. 

